Osho in Jalandhar, 1967 – 1968

A series of unpublished photos taken during Osho’s early travels, from Satish’s precious photo album. They were scanned in by Anuragi for us to share.

Osho used to travel extensively, and tirelessly, across India to give talks. In these photos we see the then Acharya Rajneesh arrive at Jalandhar (in those days known as Jullundur), where he gave lectures in various settings, including intimate talks at Satish’s home where Osho stayed each time he was in town.

Last August I was in Pune and a friend mentioned that someone had rare, unpublished photos of Osho. Since I am archiving the works of Osho and collecting objects related to the Master, he knew that I would be more than happy to see them.

We went to meet Satish in his office – he ran a property consulting company in Koregaon Park. He took me to his home, which was just above his office, and brought out a blue album. These were photos of the Master when he visited Jalandhar in 1967 and 1968. They were indeed precious, and he was aware that he had something rare.

Satish, though, would not part with them so easily. Only when Ma Bhagwati (of Pune) and Ma Dharm Jyoti confirmed that I was involved in the preservation of items related to Osho, did he agree to hand the pictures over to me. Bhagwati called me up, I travelled from Delhi to Pune and, when we met, he immediately got out the album and gave it to me.

This happened on 18 November 2017. After that, I visited Pune twice and always made it a point to go and see him over a cup of tea. He had become a close friend in a very short time.

During one of our chats he told me a beautiful story: When he met Osho for the first time, something special kept pulling him towards Osho. He did not consider him as one of those so-called religious men who roamed around his house. Satish’s father was known to host many religious men in their 35-room mansion, and so Osho was also invited to stay with them the two times he visited Jalandhar. The young Satish felt it was a nuisance that so many people of various religious sects stayed at their house, and so often. He told this to Osho, to which he replied that after that day no one would come any longer. And that’s what happened.

Satish also mentioned that Osho’s discourses in Jalandhar were recorded and that he was trying to retrieve the spools. The family home got sold a few years back and he did not know where they were! He was planning to go back to his home town to try and find them. He was supposed to come to New Delhi on 14 February and then continue his trip to Jalandhar, with that mission in mind. However, Satish fell ill and died in Inlakh Hospital on 8 February 2018.

With these beautiful photos, Satish has left behind a beautiful gift for all Osho lovers.